Assessing learning outcomes and cost effectiveness of an online sleep curriculum for medical students. J Clin Sleep Med 2012 Aug 15;8(4):439-43
Date
08/16/2012Pubmed ID
22893775Pubmed Central ID
PMC3407263DOI
10.5664/jcsm.2042Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84866763030 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 27 CitationsAbstract
OBJECTIVE: Sleep disorders are highly prevalent across all age groups but often remain undiagnosed and untreated, resulting in significant health consequences. To overcome an inadequacy of available curricula and learner and instructor time constraints, this study sought to determine if an online sleep medicine curriculum would achieve equivalent learner outcomes when compared with traditional, classroom-based, face-to-face instruction at equivalent costs.
METHOD: Medical students rotating on a required clinical clerkship received instruction in 4 core clinical sleep-medicine competency domains in 1 of 2 delivery formats: a single 2.5-hour face-to-face workshop or 4 asynchronous e-learning modules. Immediate learning outcomes were assessed in a subsequent clerkship using a multiple-choice examination and standardized patient station, with long-term outcomes assessed through analysis of students' patient write-ups for inclusion of sleep complaints and diagnoses before and after the intervention. Instructional costs by delivery format were tracked. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses compared learning outcomes and costs by instructional delivery method (face-to-face versus e-learning).
RESULTS: Face-to-face learners, compared with online learners, were more satisfied with instruction. Learning outcomes (i.e., multiple-choice examination, standardized patient encounter, patient write-up), as measured by short-term and long-term assessments, were roughly equivalent. Design, delivery, and learner-assessment costs by format were equivalent at the end of 1 year, due to higher ongoing teaching costs associated with face-to-face learning offsetting online development and delivery costs.
CONCLUSIONS: Because short-term and long-term learner performance outcomes were roughly equivalent, based on delivery method, the cost effectiveness of online learning is an economically and educationally viable instruction platform for clinical clerkships.
Author List
Bandla H, Franco RA, Simpson D, Brennan K, McKanry J, Bragg DAuthors
Hari Bandla MD Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of WisconsinRose Franco MD Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Clinical ClerkshipComputer-Assisted Instruction
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Curriculum
Educational Measurement
Humans
Learning
Sleep Medicine Specialty
Students, Medical